Heretofore various types of roll forming machines have utilized standard components including a base and a top plate, a motor drive, a gear drive transmission connected to the motor drive and a plurality of vertically aligned longitudinally spaced pairs of complimental pass forming rolls of progressively different shapes. The rolls were respectively arranged in a longitudinal set to successively receive, feed and form therebetween in a continuous operation an elongated strip of metallic stock. In such a construction gear means are employed for interconnecting the transmission and the forming rolls for rotation in unison.
Roll forming machines of this type have employed a series of longitudinally spaced pairs of vertically spaced forming rolls which are power driven. The rolls are progressively fed and receive therebetween an elongated strip of stock of variable widths. As the stock passes between the respective sets of vertically aligned complimental rolls, the strip of stock as it exits the roll forming machine is of the desired predetermined configuration.
In machines of this type the individual upper form roll of each pair of vertically aligned rolls may be manually adjustable to accommodate stock of different thickness as it is formed and passes through and between the sets of rolls successively. Normally the machine once set up will form only one end product in a continuous and reptitive manner and at a relatively high speed and for high production.
Often times, however, it is a desire to provide an end product of a different shape. This necessitates the applicatio of a new set of successive pairs of longitudinally spaced rolls upon the power driven spindles such that when the new rolls are assembled and set, a strip of stock may be passed through and between the complimental rolls for a different configured end product. This requires the machine to be stopped in order to switch or replace the complimental rolls for the particular job. Additional down time is involved in providing for the required vertical adjustments of the respective upper rolls of each set of pass rolls along the length of the set of rolls from the input feeding end to the output end depending upon the nature of the cold forming of the stock that passes successively between the rolls. Additional down time time is involved in resetting the vertical distance between the upper and lower rolls as each pair of rolls throughout the system for a particular job.